Served a bit on the chilly side at first. Very youthful color. Overall, this came across as shut down and ungiving; really coiled up. Some tar and black fruit hints are detectable if you really look for it, but this needs time. Not rated.
Just like the 2001 that was tasted next to this, it was served a bit cold when first tasted. Just like the 2001, this was coiled up and not showing much. Unlike the 2001, this appears to be coming out of its shell after a few hours. Elegant, light and piercing on the palate, with some meaty and pepper nuances. A lovely powdery, chalky minerally finish. This danced nicely on the palate, but I would opt to cellar this longer if I had some, as the structure is still quite prominent.
This was a bit shy on the nose at first but slowly uncoiled itself. The palate was magnificent, with tangy lemon, herbal (mint?) and seashell notes. This displayed a deceptive sapiness to it, almost buttery but laser-like in focus to leave a leaner, more chiseled final impression. A nice saline, lip-smacking finish. Superb match up with the cauliflower gruyere soup.
Deep yellow color, The nose shows some evolution, with dried orchard fruits and diesel. The palate was surprisingly open, flamboyant and rich. Still quite fresh, even though the honey and botrytis notes added a bit more weight than expected. Superb length on the palate. Good minerality and well balanced acidity. Probably not a Clos St Hune to age for a long term (40 years), but I will let my last bottle rest a bit more (15 years) for the sake of science. Yummy stuff.
Honied, rich, but with good, sound acids... although I would prefer a tad more bite. Seems to be holding more in reserve, but the 2001 version, tasted side by side, was clearly superior.
Wow... such a powerhouse of a Champagne. This had it all: intensity, insanely long finish, complexity and structure. Lees, minerals, nut butter, ginger, lemon rind... the flavors go on. This is the real deal.
A poster child for what a fine aged claret should be. Elegant, silky and layered with mature flavors of leather, , dried currants, cedar and moist earth. A bit of an odd "celery seed" note peeked in, but not enough to detract.
A pristine bottle that was decanted for a couple of hours before consuming. This really overacheived, showing haunting mature flavors of dried roses, leather, gravel, herbs, walnut skin and a beam of sweet orange rind. Tingles the palate with lovely "spikey" acidity. Airy on the palate, as it almost floats. Ethereal wine.
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Quite nice, with earth, herbs, violetsl and red fruits that are "just about ripe"... meaning not heavy, sweet or ponderous, but just ripe enough to provide cut, verve and a pleasing bitterness.
This wine is well on its way to being a fabullous Pauillac. Some secondary flavors are creeping in but this is so loaded with dense primary fruit that this just seemed too young to drink. Rich, yet this never loses its sense of elegance. Very deep, very long, yet very young. The proverbial "legend in the making".
The base flavors here are appealing: honey, orange peel, earl grey tea... but the structure is slightly lacking. Some butterscotch creeps in. A bit watery on the finish. I would opt to drink this sooner rather than later.
This is more like it. This has the raciness and nervous energy that Riesling demands. Very lifted and pure, with orange rind, grapefruit and lemons. Lovely balance, length and precision. This has the "yum" factor.
This was opened late in the night and my notes are schetchy, but this showed well, with mature, secondary flavors and that "Cordier" funk. Silky mouthfeel and drinking quite well.
2001 Thierry Allemand Cornas Sans Soufre
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Served a bit on the chilly side at first. Very youthful color. Overall, this came across as shut down and ungiving; really coiled up. Some tar and black fruit hints are detectable if you really look for it, but this needs time. Not rated.
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2004 Thierry Allemand Cornas Sans Soufre 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Just like the 2001 that was tasted next to this, it was served a bit cold when first tasted. Just like the 2001, this was coiled up and not showing much. Unlike the 2001, this appears to be coming out of its shell after a few hours. Elegant, light and piercing on the palate, with some meaty and pepper nuances. A lovely powdery, chalky minerally finish. This danced nicely on the palate, but I would opt to cellar this longer if I had some, as the structure is still quite prominent.
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2007 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph Vieilles Vignes
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
Hard to evaluate, as this was so closed. Little nose, hard palate, astringent finish. Do not disturb, Not rated.
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2004 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Monts Mains 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
This was a bit shy on the nose at first but slowly uncoiled itself. The palate was magnificent, with tangy lemon, herbal (mint?) and seashell notes. This displayed a deceptive sapiness to it, almost buttery but laser-like in focus to leave a leaner, more chiseled final impression. A nice saline, lip-smacking finish. Superb match up with the cauliflower gruyere soup.
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2000 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune 93 Points
France, Alsace
Deep yellow color, The nose shows some evolution, with dried orchard fruits and diesel. The palate was surprisingly open, flamboyant and rich. Still quite fresh, even though the honey and botrytis notes added a bit more weight than expected. Superb length on the palate. Good minerality and well balanced acidity. Probably not a Clos St Hune to age for a long term (40 years), but I will let my last bottle rest a bit more (15 years) for the sake of science. Yummy stuff.
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1995 Carl Schmitt-Wagner Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Riesling Auslese 90 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Honied, rich, but with good, sound acids... although I would prefer a tad more bite. Seems to be holding more in reserve, but the 2001 version, tasted side by side, was clearly superior.
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2001 Carl Schmitt-Wagner Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Riesling Auslese 94 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
So much richness, so much juicy extraction, yet so balanced and pure, with stinging acids. Palate adhering, long and lovely.
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1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 97 Points
France, Champagne
Wow... such a powerhouse of a Champagne. This had it all: intensity, insanely long finish, complexity and structure. Lees, minerals, nut butter, ginger, lemon rind... the flavors go on. This is the real deal.
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1966 Château Beychevelle 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
A poster child for what a fine aged claret should be. Elegant, silky and layered with mature flavors of leather, , dried currants, cedar and moist earth. A bit of an odd "celery seed" note peeked in, but not enough to detract.
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1961 Cappellano Barolo 97 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
A pristine bottle that was decanted for a couple of hours before consuming. This really overacheived, showing haunting mature flavors of dried roses, leather, gravel, herbs, walnut skin and a beam of sweet orange rind. Tingles the palate with lovely "spikey" acidity. Airy on the palate, as it almost floats. Ethereal wine.
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2007 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeux 93 Points
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Quite nice, with earth, herbs, violetsl and red fruits that are "just about ripe"... meaning not heavy, sweet or ponderous, but just ripe enough to provide cut, verve and a pleasing bitterness.
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1996 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This wine is well on its way to being a fabullous Pauillac. Some secondary flavors are creeping in but this is so loaded with dense primary fruit that this just seemed too young to drink. Rich, yet this never loses its sense of elegance. Very deep, very long, yet very young. The proverbial "legend in the making".
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1992 Müller-Catoir Mußbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner Auslese 89 Points
Germany, Pfalz
The base flavors here are appealing: honey, orange peel, earl grey tea... but the structure is slightly lacking. Some butterscotch creeps in. A bit watery on the finish. I would opt to drink this sooner rather than later.
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1996 Müller-Catoir Mußbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner Spätlese 93 Points
Germany, Pfalz
This is more like it. This has the raciness and nervous energy that Riesling demands. Very lifted and pure, with orange rind, grapefruit and lemons. Lovely balance, length and precision. This has the "yum" factor.
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1985 Château Talbot 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
This was opened late in the night and my notes are schetchy, but this showed well, with mature, secondary flavors and that "Cordier" funk. Silky mouthfeel and drinking quite well.
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